rccl-sovereign16

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Kathie
Email: kteamjags@gateway.net
Age: 54
Occupation: Banking
NumberOfCruises: 15
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Sovereign
SailingDate: 10/05/00
Itinerary: Bahamas/Coco Cay
Cabin: 3001P
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff:
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 70
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 990
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 98
GoodForFamilies: 89
LoungeService:
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors: 93
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 87
Casino: 97
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark:
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 96
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 96
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Oct 2000
Time: 06:36:50
Remote Name: spider-tp053.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our 15th cruise, first on RCI. I will try and keep in mind this was only a 3 day cruise when I rate
Royal Carribean. I am sure everything would be a bit better on a 7 day sailing.

Embarkation went smooth. Only problem was when the line started to move some people coming into the
area where others had already been waiting, cut into the line but there are always some people that rate
themselves better than others and are too good to get into the line like they should. Not Royal Carribeans
fault.

The ship is very well kept but is showing some signs of wear that I think could have been corrected. Such
as some of the stairs on the outside of the ship need to be replaced, a lot of stains in the carpets and
there was rust that needed to be cleaned off and repainted but I would say all and all it looked pretty
good. The common areas are very attractive and tastefully decorated.

The welcome aboard buffet left a lot to be desired. We are used to Celebrity and Princess where the
welcome aboard buffet is 4 times bigger and the food is 4 times better that we were very disappointed.
Again, this was a 3 day cruise and we normally take 7 day cruises so I hate to say this is a trend with RCI.
They stated on the posted menu that there would be sliced Turkey and Ham, hot dogs and hamburgers
as well as what was presented but there was none of the above on the actual buffet. We ate at the buffet
the first morning as well and the food was not very good, therefore, that was the last time we ate there.
We went for the diningroom the rest of the cruise. One thing I really appreciated was 24 hour coffee and it
was good coffee. That is available in the food court as well.

The food in the diningroom was good but not as good as Celebrity. Celebrity is head and shoulders
above all the cruise lines we have been on for their food. It is hard to say anyone elses is excellent when
you know there is better out there. BUT, all things considered and putting Celebrity to the back of my
mind, the food in the diningroom was good. Now, the table next to us and the one behind that one, people
were drifting in to be served an hour late every night. To those of you who have never cruised before,
this practice messes up the wait staff and the kitchen not to mention it is just plain ignorant to do that. The
poor waitress had to continue serving those who arrived at the designated time plus try and play catch up
to those late commers. We had main seating which means she has to get these people served then
re-set those tables for the late seating. On most other cruise lines I have been on there is a sign posted
stating what time the doors close. RCI needs to put that plan in effect as well. Our waitress was excellent
and handled the "situation" very well. We were talking to her about it and she said it messes up the
kitchen to because they are on a time schedule as well and they have to stop to accomodate these
people.

The noise level in the rooms was not as good as other ships we have been on. I had no problem hearing
the TV in the room next to mine. Of course this is a little bit of an older ship so that could be why. The
brand new ships have this problem solved pretty good. Our cabin steward Kevin was wonderful. One of
the best we have had on our 15 cruises. Our room was one of the smallest we have ever had BUT we
were a "victim" of Premier Cruises lines and booked at the last minute when our cruise was abrupted
cancelled due to Premier going out of business. When was a shame I might add. Although they were an
old cruise line, they were very good in their hey day.

I won't labor you much with Nassau. I have been there 5 times and always enjoy it. If you want to get the
10 cent tour (for a lot more) do the $22.00 tour of the city and it pretty much sums up what Nassau is all
about. I must say I was rather pleased from the last time we were there. They have cleaned up things
quite a bit. We talked with an ex-policeman (he was our tour guide, we took our son who had never been
before) and he said they have now in place a "crime against a tourist" which is punishment by jail time
period. He said they know that tourism is there biggest business and they need to protect it. Kudos to
Nassau government.

The out island is wonderful. Just a really nice relaxing day at the beach. There is plenty to do from
nothing to Parasailing. We had perfect weather which enhanced the fun. The water was about 85
degrees and smooth as glass. The BBQ was about like the rest of the cruise lines, not too good. This was
a definate abreviated version of the ones I am used to. For some reason all their buffet type things were
much smaller than we are used to. Again, this could be because it was a 3 day cruise. One thing I really
like about the out island is that you got their at 9:00a.m. and the ship did not leave until 5:00p.m. Most
cruise lines get you off the Island at 3:00. This was a nice long day and I did not feel rushed like a lot of
other out Islands.

This was a very nice experience and I would definately go Royal Carribean again but Celebrity food is so
much better that the only reason I would switch is if an itinerary was available on Royal Carribean that I
could not get on Celebrity. For a 3 day cruise, I would recommend it especially since Celebrity does not
have a 3-4 day cruise as yet.

Name: Eric Detwiler
Email: ericdetwiler@excite.com
Age: 26
Occupation: Asset Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Sovereign
SailingDate: 10/01/2000
Itinerary: Bahamas
Cabin: 7016
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 60
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Oct 2000
Time: 10:18:30
Remote Name: ertpg8e1.nortelnetworks.com
Remote User:

Comments

First off the Cruise was WONDERFUL. This was my first cruise and I am already gearing up for the next
cruise.

The First day we arrived at Orlando a day before our cruise because we purchased our own airfare. I
wanted to make sure that we did not miss the cruise so we played it safe and got Orlando a day early. On
that day we went to Universal Studios and had a blast. We rented a car for one day and stayed the night
at a hotel near the airport. The next day we went to the airport and got on the Royal Caribbean bus for
our transfer. It was quick and efficient... just like I had read from other reviews. We arrive at the terminal
at 11:00am and we had to wait until 12 noon to board but that was no big deal. We got aboard very
quickly and got to our room. We signed up for shore excursions quickly and went out to explore the ship.
What a beautiful ship. It was VERY clean and for a first time cruiser it is very impressive.

After a swim we
went down for Dinner. We had the early seating. Ted and Jorge were WONDERFUL. I don't think I ever
heard the word no from them. Dinner was excellent. So many choices. We went to bed early that night.
The second day we got up really early to see the sun rise. It was overcast but there were a few breaks in
the clouds. At 11am we went top side to see us dock in Nassau. It is amazing to watch one of these huge
ships dock them selves. We did not spend much time in Nassau and did not have a shore excursion
planned. We went through some of the shops but got back to the ship to eat Dinner and relax a bit , swim
and do some on board activities. The Not so Newlywed Game is a must see.

The Third day was the
highlight....COCO CAY. We went snorkeling and had a great time. The water was clear and warm. The
BBQ on the island was OK but I would have preferred to go back to the ship to eat. Oh well....it was fine.
The Coco Loco drink was heavenly....TRY IT. Not much to do here but RELAX. AH...What a great day
The Last full day was on the ship at sea. They had a bunch of activities planned for that day...if you want
to participate. As you can probably guess my wife and I relaxed by the pool and ate....and drank...and
ate. The last day was here too quickly. Getting off the boat was quick and easy. We got on the bus and
went back to the airport. We did this whole trip for a little over $1000(Cruise, Airfare, transfers and shore
excursion) for everything for the both of us. Granted the Ship board charge card was about $400 for
alcohol, clothes, casino and a massage...but that was not that bad.

I WANT TO GO AGAIN!!!!!!!

Name: Darin Meadows
Email: darin2@alltel.net
Age: 32
Occupation: Law Enforcement
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Sovereign
SailingDate: October 8th 2000
Itinerary: Nassau - Coco Cay
Cabin: 3014 Category H
FoodDiningRoom: 93
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Oct 2000
Time: 15:18:13
Remote Name: r-53.62.alltel.net
Remote User:

Comments

My wife and I sailed on a 4-day cruise on the Sovereign of the Seas on October 8th. This was the second
cruise for my wife and me. The first was a 7-day cruise on Carnival Sensation in May of 1998 on an
Eastern Carribean itinerary. I will try to be as detailed as possible, but if you have other specific questions
you can email me.

We arrived at the port around 1 p.m. We drove from home since we live in Georgia. Parking was $28.00.
The ship was very easy to find and parking was even easier. The parking lot is very close to the ship and
it was a very short walk to meet up with my wife after dropping her and the luggage off. There was a small
line at embarkation, and it took all of 5 minutes to get to an attendant. Someone had posted in another
message that you have to have a credit card to open a supercharge account. This is not true. We were
asked if we wanted to use a credit card or cash. We told them cash and were given simple instructions on
how to make a deposit into our cash account once we got onboard.

Once onboard we went to our cabin. It was Category H with a porthole window. We were on deck 3, which
was convient due to eating in the GiGi dinning room on the same floor. The room was a little smaller than
our cabin on the Sensation, but proved to be quite adequate. The cabin had a small 13-inch TV with
remote control. The TV also had auido/video inputs on the front so you could hook up a video camera if
you wanted.

Our cabin attendant did a good job. We saw him throughout the trip and he frequently asked if we
needed things. He even made a crab animal out of one of my wife’s shirts and left it on the bed. She was
impressed.

We went to the Windjammer Cafe for lunch. I had read so many postings of people complaining about this
pre-departure meal being hotdogs and hamburgers. That was not the case. There was salad, fried
chicken, roast beef, other meats, and assorted vegetables. There was also a nice assortment of deserts.

We walked around the ship and went to an excursion and shopping talk prior to departure. You can see
the Carnival Fantasy and Disney Wonder from the Sovereign while your in port. It was very nice to see
them all sailing out to see together. Our departure was delayed slightly due to some people coming in on
late airline flights.

We opted for main seating at supper. Our waiter was Elio (Elu) from Portugal. He was very funny and
provided excellent service. To answer your food question up front...NO..there was no lobster served on
this cruise. That did not bother me or my wife because the food was excellent. If you really want a list of
what was served email me. We bought souvenir sample menus from the headwaiter. It costs only $8.00
and includes a small cookbook. I found the portions to be adequate on most dishes. By the time you eat
an appetizer, soup, salad, bread, pasta, entree, and then desert you should be full. We often ordered
more than one entree if we found there were several that we liked. We ate all dinners in the main dinning
room.

Breakfast in the dinning room was a variety of eggs (any way you want it), pancakes (buttermilk,
blueberry, banana), cereals, danish, etc. We ate breakfast in the Windjammer a few times also. It was
your basic breakfast buffet. Omelets were also available. Both were good, but I preferred the dinning
room.

We only ate lunch in the main dinning room one time. It was very good, and afterwards I wished we had
eaten lunch there more often instead of opting for the more convient Windjammer. In comparison I think
the Windjammer was much nicer than Carnival’s. The food seemed better, more variety, and the dining
area was much nicer. Carnival seemed like eating in a fast food restraunt.

Now to the buffets. The first and fourth night there was no real buffet. The waiters served finger foods in
the bar areas at midnight. The food was very good and included a good variety. On the second night
there was a Carribean buffet. This included a variety of hot and cold dishes along with deserts. The food
was good, but I thought the deserts could have been better with more variety. The best midnight buffet
was on the third night. It was all chocolate. There was an incredible variety of pies, cakes, chocolate
covered fruits, ice cream, creme puffs, etc. The line was long, so get there about 15 minutes early to get
a good place in line.

They also have afternoon snacks at 4:00 p.m. in the Windjammer. The frozen yogurt is very good. We
also ordered room service two times. I liked the fact of them having a menu in your room. You could also
order a full meal from the dinning room if you wanted to eat in your room. It took about 20 minutes each
time to get our food. It was very good.

We thought the entertainment was excellent on the ship. There were two Broadway type shows. They also
had a variety of other evening activities. DO NOT miss the “Quest” game. They gave out a variety of
awards for game winners including hats, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and key chains. The bingo was fun and I
found it to be a much better value than Carnivals games. We won the first game on the ship. We thought
the bar service was adequate but not pushy. On Canival I felt like I was being asked every three minutes
if I wanted another drink.

On day two we were in Nassau. We arrived in the port around 11:00 a.m., which I thought was a little late.
We spent the first few hours shopping and then went on the Stingray snorkeling excursion. We really
enjoyed this found it to be much more than just looking at stingrays. My wife was a little scared about
swimming with the stingrays. She really enjoyed it once she got in. There were huge fish and other sea
life there. The guide was in the water the entire time and would dive down and bring up sea animals to
show you. We got to pet a stingray and even feed them.

On our way back from the excursion it started raining. We got soaked by the time we reached Nassau.
We decided to do some more shopping in Nassau before returning to the ship. The straw market was
similar to a flea market here in the U.S. You can easily talk them down off prices and get some really good
deals. We also bought some jewelry and other souvenirs from local shops.

We did not go to the Atlantis, but sailed by it on our way to the stingray excursion. We heard several
people mention they had toured it and really thought it was impressive. It would probably be a nice spot to
celebrate an anniversary but I understand the prices are very high.

A WARNING to those going to Nassau. A couple sitting next to us at dinner was somehow talked into
going to a timeshare viewing at the Sheraton in Nassau. I think they were approached once they arrived
on the island. They were told it was a 90 minute tour/presentation and included transportation to the
resort. I am not sure if they were promised a gift/tickets or anything. Once they arrived for the presenation
they encountered very high prices and very high pressure sale tactics. The resort people kept delaying
sending them back to the ship and they spent three hours at the resort. They had to pay for their own taxi
back to the ship. The resort people kept trying to talk them into putting money down on a condo. They
were really upset and missed half of the dinner that night.

On day three we were supposed to be in Coco Cay. Due to bad weather and 45 mph winds the Captain
decided not stop at the island. This was a big disappointment, but we did not blame RCI for the problem.
That’s part of the risk in cruising this time of the year. They quickly issued out a new list of activities for
the ship, and we wound up with an extra day at sea. So instead we got to see the head chef do a cooking
demonstration. They also served complimentary drinks for an hour to sort of apologize for what
happened. We also enjoyed the movie theatre onboard and saw several movies.

Day four was a scheduled day at sea. Again there were a lot of activities scheduled. We didn’t spend a
great deal of time at the pool due to the weather being windy and cloudy the last two days. We also tried
playing a slots and video poker in the casino. It was fun and we wound up breaking even.

Another comment I would like to make is the pictures that are taken onboard. On formal night you can
have your pictures taken at several different locations on the ship. On other nights there are also places
to take more causal pictures. The pictures are usually posted in the photo gallery the next day. I thought
the pictures were reasonable and preferred their way of doing them over Carnival.

The last night the ship was really rocking due to the bad weather. Everyone was stumbling around and
you could see the white caps on the waves outside.

On the last morning we at breakfast in the main dinning room around 7:00 a.m. We then went to the
Follies lounge to await disembarking. They play CNN on projection screens while you are waiting to leave
the ship. They also play a trivia game that makes the time pass better. We got off at 9:00 a.m. Customs
was also very easy. We gathered our luggage and were on the road by 9:30 a.m.

We really enjoyed the cruise and plan on taking our children next summer for vacation. I give RCI high
points for their cruise line and this ship even taking into account it’s twelve years old. It is hard to compare
everything to Carnival due to the ships being different and the different itineraries.

Email me if you have questions. darin2@alltel.net

Name: Todd Ryan
Email: fltoddy@yahoo.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Systems Engineering Manager
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Sovereign
SailingDate: 10/08/00-10/12/00
Itinerary: Port Canaveral/Bahamas/Coco Cay
Cabin: 8056/F
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 91
CruiseActivities: 91
Casino: 91
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Oct 2000
Time: 14:21:53
Remote Name: ip94.transflo.com
Remote User:

Comments

My family (my wife, 5 yr. old son and 3 yr. son) and my parents (52 and 56) did not initially book a cruise
on Royal Carribean. We initially booked a cruise for the same week on the now defunct Premier Cruise
Lines. We, along with countless others, learned on the 10:00 p.m. news one night that our fully paid for
cruise had been cancelled. We are still waiting for word on our money, but that is a different story. Our
only other cruise was on Premier for our honeymoon 7 years ago, so that is all we have to compare to.

I had originally booked through cruiseweb.com, but I was soooo miffed that they booked me on Premier
just 30 days before they went out of business that I didn't want to deal with them again. Every travel agent
I spoke with said that they had known for months that they were having problems and had been steering
people away. I was searching through deja.com for cruise reviews and saw a comment posted by Sue at
cruiseoutlets.com and decided to give them a call. They were very friendly on the phone, and had a
family ran feel to their business that I really liked. They quickly found us comparable rooms on RCCL
Sovereign of the Seas, the same week, for about $700 less than the Premier cruise! And let me tell you,
the difference between the two ships (Premier and RCCL) is such that I would have gladly paid $700
MORE to go on the Sovereign. Sue handled all of our requests, had some good suggestions, and got us
two cabins side by side just as we asked. She answered all of our super paranoid questions and was very
helpful thoughout. They are highly recommended if you need a travel agent to book your next cruise
through.

We arrived at 1:00 p.m. for our 5:00 p.m. departure. Getting on board was smooth, although the custom
forms that RCCL sent have been replaced so we had to fill out new ones. Not a big deal. We also carried
on all of our luggage as they were pullmans and sized to fit through X-Ray machines. As a result, we were
in our rooms and unpacked by around 2:00 p.m.

The rooms were much smaller than Premier's, but so well laid out that it didn't really matter. The upper
bunks fold into the wall (a design that would be great in a kid's room!) and there are numerous drawers
and shelves. We unloaded 4 suitcases and two carry on bags with room to spare. If you are a water or
soda drinker, carry on your on as they are expensive if you use the ones in the cabin. The steward will
keep the ice bucket going for you. The beds are comfortable, the water pressure and hot water were
never a problem. One tip though; if the water pressure is low at the sink, try unscrewing the screen on the
faucet. Sometimes 'stuff' will build up in the screen and restrict the water flow. We were also greeted with
a very pleasant surprise from our travel agent. They had a bottle of wine sent to our cabin the first night. I
don't know if it was because of our Premier woes or just standard practice, but I was very impressed. Nice
touch.

The ship itself was beautiful. It was much, much more luxurious and lavish than the Premier's ships. Every
nook and cranny was spotless, the hand rails at the steps were kept polished, everything looked freshly
painted. We were floored at that overall great condition and tastefulness of the ship as a whole. Very,
very nice.

Now, for our favorite parts: the food and service and the kids program. First, the food and service. Eat in
your dining room every chance you get. The Windjammer food is okay, but the food quality and service
are definitely junior varsity compared to the dining room food and staff. We only ate there for the welcome
aboard lunch and one breakfast, and that was more than enough. We dined at table 18 in the Gigi dining
room, first seating. Our wait staff were phenmoenal. We have never encountered that level of service and
care anywhere, bar none. We were so impressed we added 25% to the suggested tips, and found
ourselves stuffing cash in the envelopes at dinner the last evening! The boat could have been 200 years
old, with a rusted hull, cruising through the a hurrican in downtown Newark and we would have been
thrilled with the cruise because of the wait staff. Z, our waiter, cut our son's hot dogs and steak meal, and
even drew pictures for them to color. They both insisted on hugging our waiter and head waiter the last
night and was sincere when they told them they would miss them and wanted to take them home. 'Super'
Mario was our head waiter and he was one of the most entertaining people on the boat, including the
shows. He came by and spoke with us every meal and was just an overall pleasure to be around. Fahri
was our assistant waiter and although shy, he was very attentive and did a good job. If you are
considering booking a cruise on the Sovereign, espeically with small children, I would suggest that you
don't worry about the port of call, length cabin category, or anything else until you secure a table where
Z. is your waiter and Super Mario is your head waiter. They are incredible. I wrote Z.'s full name down at
home, so if you want to take the advice, email me and I will give you his full name so you can get a table
in his area. But, you have to promise not to embarass me by being a poor tipper. These guys deserve
every penny they receive. If you see them, tell them their 'hot dog boy' said hello. The dining room staff
also do a song and dance each night, which is very funny and entertaining. Top notch operation.

The kid's program was another highlight of the cruise. Coco Carly and Bozo Brian lead the 3-5 year olds
on our cruise, and our 5 year old loved them. You have to be 3 years old and potty trained to participate,
so our 3 year old hung out with us. Our 5 year old, Jordan, was insistent on attending every event after
attending the first one. He loved the variety of activities and came off the ship with a 10-12 inch stack of
crafts, plus a t-shirt, pillowcase, hat, space mud, stuffed animal, on and on. The kids were not just
babysat, they played games, colored, made crafts, dressed up, and were shown a very good time overall.
Although tip envelopes are not provided for the kid's program staff members, we felt that they deserved a
token of appreciation. I would encourage doing the same if you are pleased with the program. Parents
are issued a beeper that the staff will use to contact you if there is a problem. One of the most useful
events was the 'formal night' alternative for the kids where the staff took them as a group to the
Windjammer for hamburgers. The activities run from 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., excluding lunch every day
and excluding dinner one night. They also offer extended activities until 1:00 a.m. for $4 per hour per
child, paid in cash if you are interested.

The seas were fairly rough the first night, and very rough the last night. The seas were also too rough to
go to Coco Cay, which was a pretty big disappointment. Having been to Nassau before, we already knew
how unpleasant it was and only spent 1 1/2 hours off the boat. We were looking forward to some family
time off the boat at Coco Cay, but nature said no. The staff did a good job improvising some activities, but
it was still tough being stuck on the ship. However, being a fairly easygoing group, we went with the flow.
The dining room staff lost their time off in the process, so we realized it could be worse. Which leads me
to a good point. I have read a few reviews where cruisers lowered their tip because their ice cubes melted
too fast or their waiter didn't sing their favorite song. I even read a suggestion to omit or lower the head
waiters tip if you don't see them very often. Here's my take on that: 99% of the crew of a ship are citizens
of another country trying to make a better life for themselves and their family. They are at sea 6 months
and off 1month. They probably see more food thrown away in one day than their family eats in a month.
I'm sure they are not paid extravagant wages, and I know for a fact that they work at least 14-16 hour
days because I saw them doing it. The head waiter does a large portion of his/her work behind the
scenes. The head waiter makes sure the food quality is up to par, he makes sure your special orders get
handled, and your special occasions get celebrated. That over cooked piece of fish never made it to your
table because he caught it and had another one prepared. I encourage you to think twice before you go
below the suggested tip amount for a petty complaint that you never even voiced. Or, even worse, lower
your tip because you lost too much money in the casino. Tips are usually $3.50 per day for the waiter and
steward, $3.00 per day for the head waiter, and $2.50 per day for the assistant waiter PER person. If your
child is not a person, don't include them. However, our kids are 'persons' and were treated like very
special persons. I would even guess that more time was spent taking care of the kids than the adults.
Budget your tip money up front. If you can't afford the tip money, you can't afford the cruise. We were
pleased with the service and pleased with the opportunity to express our gratitude with a nice tip.

The shows were pretty good, although we enjoyed the celebrity impersonators that Premier had better.
The Rock on Broadway show was okay, but most of the cast was lip synching. The Not so Newlywed was
also pretty good, but those things get kind of similar if you've seen one. The cruise director was fairly
personable, but he manages to work in a lot of adult humor, so beware if you have kids. We attended one
show the last day at around 3:30 p.m. (The Liars Club) that got downright raunchy. We had to beat a
hasty exit with our 3 year old to keep him having to explain a lot of new words and gestures. The Mills
family was pretty entertaining, but their show was fairly short. It may have been due to the rough seas, but
it was followed by a skit by the entertainment staff and the anatomically correct cross dressing cruise
director. More adult humor, more explanations for the 3 year old. Just a warning for families.

The chocolate buffet was okay, but the lines were horrendous. If you go, split up and get food for each
other. We stood in one of four lines for 30 minutes only to find out that there were different items in each
line. One line was cakes, one was ice creams, one was cheese and meat, and the fourth I couldn't even
get close enough to see. The poor souls in the ice cream line had a plate of soup by the time they got to
the table.

Disembarkation was very smooth. We were in one of the last groups (purple), but we were off the boat by
10:00 a.m. We had to leave the cabins by 8:00 a.m., so by the time we left the cabin, ate breakfast, and
went to the top deck it was time to go.

The only negatives we saw during the whole cruise were the elevators. If you can make it, try to stick to
the stairs. The elevators are heavily used, and there were enough pushy older people in them to make it
a stressful experience, especially with children.

On a final note, when we arrived home there was a welcome home card from our travel agent. She wrote
that she hoped we had a great time and asked for some family pictures for their wall. Once again, I can
not say enough about their service and thoughtfulness. They and RCCL combined to turn a nightmare
situation into the best vacation we have ever taken, by unanimous family vote. Time to start saving for the
next one...

Name: GMcDan
Email: McD3039@aol.com
Age: 33
Occupation: Dental Hygienist
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Sovereign
SailingDate: 10-12-00
Itinerary: Nassau, Coco Cay
Cabin: 4058/outside cabin
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 83
FoodRoomService: 97
CruiseStaff: 93
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 92
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 86
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 86
WheelchairAccess: 92
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 86
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Oct 2000
Time: 22:29:54
Remote Name: spider-tj063.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

The first night of our cruise was very rough. We sailed out of Port Canaveral to Nassau and the boat rocked
so bad that you had trouble walking in the Centrum and in the Dining Room also. Everyone was green and
the dining room was almost empty that night. I would not recommend sailing out of Port Canaveral but rather
Miami. Our waiters gave very good service but were not very personable and did not seem as witty and
charming as our waiters on our first cruise..same ship. And we could have done without the three guys who
came around to your table to sing to you....so silly...can you imagine 3 Japanese guys singing
'Margaritaville' by Jimmy Buffett? Sovereign looked very clean and well kept as usual and had good
entertainment and activities as well. Nassau was, as usual, beautiful but is a very poor city with people
begging you to buy their products and trying to sell you drugs. We had 5 men ask us if we wanted to go
'smoke some weed'. Paradise Island is nice, as is Atlantis. The best part of the whole trip was Coco Cay! It
is absolutely gorgeous-very peaceful with lots of hammocks, a perfect place to snorkel, lay in the sun or
look for shells..very relaxing! I could have skipped Nassau and just went to this Island for 2 days! Very worth
the trip!! The disembarking procedures were horrible! We had to wait for about 2 hrs. to be able to get off
the ship, and there is nothing to do for this 2 hrs. because you have to leave your cabin and there is no
food available during this time..very boring!! They need to improve this part of the cruise. Overall, it is worth
the money,especially in October.

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